


unfurling

by LadyNyxRavus



Category: Epic (2013)
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, origins story for the epicness that is Taranin, otp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-04
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-13 22:38:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/829671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNyxRavus/pseuds/LadyNyxRavus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time they meet she’s certainly not attempting to steal – borrow! – one of the Leafmen swords.</p><p>“I can explain,” she says to his unsmiling face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	unfurling

The first time they meet she’s certainly _not_ attempting to steal – _borrow! –_ one of the Leafmen swords.

“I can explain,” she says to his unsmiling face. He’s wearing the standard green recruit uniform and while he’s not crossing his arms he somehow manages to convey the same disapproval through his eyes alone.

There’s a long moment of expectant silence.

“Okay, so I can’t,” she gives in and straightens from her completely useless crouch. She’d fallen into the position as if to hide but there’s not much in the way of hiding places in the Leafmen armoury. “Don’t rat me out.”

“What were you going to do with a sword?” he asks and the question startles her mid-awkward retreat.

She doesn’t really have an answer to that. Mostly she just wanted to see. Tending to the Queen’s birds is only interesting for so long when the Head Caretaker refuses to believe she’s competent enough to take them out solo.

Of course, that’s why she learned how to mimic the Caretaker’s whistle.

“Ever been on a bird, recruit?” she asks. It’s required training for the Leafmen but most of the People have jobs that require their presence fairly consistently so many don’t get the chance. If he’s not at that part in the training regime, it’s more than likely he’s never been.

Which is something she can and will rectify immediately (especially if he looks the other way on this whole sword-theft fiasco).

“No,” he says and stops peering suspiciously between her and the swords. “You work in the Nests.”

“How do you know?” his lips quirk a little and she laughs, “alright, caught me out. So, do you wanna learn?”

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” he says. She grins and darts past him, flashing a wide grin, and his eyes widen. “Wait!” he calls and she can hear his footsteps as he tries to keep up on the rapid twist-climb to the Nests.

There’s mostly hummingbirds in the Nest (which is really a bundle of nests disguised in the trunk of one of the largest trees surrounding the Queen’s Chamber) and they turn their heads at her approach. These are the ideal birds for the Leafmen because they’re fast and they can hover in place.

Of course, she can’t take any of the hummingbirds nearest the openings in the Nest. Those are Leafmen mounts and they need to be able to take flight at a moment’s notice. Besides, hummingbirds don’t get along very well with her.

But a _sparrow_ …a sparrow is perfect for a quick flight.

“Here we are,” she grabs one of the spare saddles and quickly loops it around the sparrow’s chest. It turns its head to keep her in sight and blinks bright black eyes at her. She grins and scratches behind its earholes and it closes its eyes and whistles low delight. She’s on its back and ready to go before the recruit even tears his eyes away from the riotous display of colour where the hummingbirds roost.

“Well come on,” she goads him. He doesn’t smile right away but when she waves her hand impatiently he grins. He settles behind her and she doesn’t mind letting the sparrow drop into a nosedive if it means he’s going to grab onto her like she’s his only lifeline.

The wings beat a steady tempo and she takes them on a long looping path over the edge of the waterfall and down the river leading from the Queen’s Chamber. It’s a well-travelled route but she twists the reins and brings the bird over out of the way of the patrols. They’re well within the Queen’s domain and she has the patrol schedule memorized (you have to know which birds need to be nearest the doors, after all).

After a while he leans forward and his voice is low and curious in her ear. “Let me try,” he says.

There’s an awkward shuffle mid-flight which the sparrow puts up with tolerably. There’s only one minor dip when the recruit accidentally kicks the poor thing in the wing joint. Tara has no problems regaining her balance but he looks a little unsettled.

“Relax…hey, what’s your name anyway?”

“Ronin.”

“Well Ronin, I’m Tara,” she smiles and urges his hands to loosen the reins. “Now relax. The bird knows what he's doing – you’re just here to guide him. Nice and easy, got it?”

He gentles his hand and the sparrow whistles and swoops playfully. Tara laughs and politely doesn’t tease Ronin when he tenses minutely. “Beginner,” she scolds and swats the sparrow with the long end of the reins. “Come on now, Ronin, let’s have some _fun_!”

He looks like he wants to protest or practice more or something equally boring like all recruits have hammered into their brains. She kicks her heels and sends them into another nosedive and then he doesn’t have any time to worry or think.

She’s laughing and twisting around in front again the moment he manages to level them out. The air is heavy with the sound of the forest preparing for night and she really does need to get them back to the Nests before the Caretaker notices her apprentice is missing with one of the birds.

They land and Ronin hops off first. She’s turning around to slip down when his hands settle on her hips. She freezes because she doesn’t spend much time with recruits and there’s a definite strength in his grip that she doesn’t encounter often. He helps her down silently and then offers her a small smile.

“That was fun,” he agrees and she wants to punch the air in triumph. One recruit, corrupted! “Maybe we could go up again sometime?”

“Only if you don’t mind breaking the rules,” she returns with a wicked tease flashing in her eyes.

His smile doesn’t change but his eyes are shining back like the last rays of the sun. “Only if you don’t,” he says.

Oh _boy,_ does she not care about rules.


End file.
